‘He’s got to keep working away’ – Wilander on Murray’s tennis future
Andy Murray has launched Team AD/vantage in the sport of padel, to enter the new Hexagon Cup in February 2024.
The Hexagon Cup sees six teams made up of three couples each (one male couple, one female couple and one made up of stars of the future) compete to win a one-million euros prize fund.
Team owners and their two franchise players will select the remaining four team members during the draft, which takes place at the end of the month, with the Hexagon fan team in charge of their drafting.
Murray’s team is the fourth to enter the cup, with the tournament set to go ahead at the Madrid Arena.
Padel is very popular in Spain, with more than six million registered players, but there is a drive to increase popularity of the sport in the UK and beyond.
There are two more teams to be confirmed, with each of them headed up with a prominent figure from sport, business or entertainment.
Murray said: “I’m excited to become part of the ownership group for a team in the inaugural Hexagon Cup. I invested in Game4Padel a few years ago to help try and grow the sport in the UK – it’s already huge in South America, the Middle East and parts of Europe.
“I love the fact it’s easy to play, fun and social, so it will get people of all ages and abilities picking up a racket and giving it a go. I’m working with friends of mine at AD Global Sports, and together we’ll have fun over the next few years as we build a successful team and competition, while also helping grow the sport.”
There are three other teams already announced: Rafa Nadal Academy by Richard Mille, RL9 by Barcelona footballer Robert Lewandowski, and a fan-led Hexagon Cup team as confirmed entries. Two more teams will be announced next week.
Simon Freer, chairman of the Hexagon Cup, said: “It’s our honour to welcome Andy Murray, Arran Yentob, Dani Vallverdu and their Team AD/vantage entry to the Hexagon Cup.
“The goal of the Hexagon Cup is to celebrate the sport we love, whilst also growing its participation and popularity worldwide. Having such a sporting heavyweight as Andy involved will no doubt support our mission to take padel fever to new levels. We can’t wait to see this team take shape!”
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